by Bella Andre
But even as flashes of sense came at her through a thick fog of desire, how could she do anything but obey Zach’s order? Especially when he was only telling her to do what her body so desperately wanted?
Yes, she thought as she released her remaining hold over herself and let the plunge and pull of Zach’s body take her careening over the edge one more time, this was exactly what she wanted. To allow herself a pleasure she’d never been able to find with anyone else.
She would heed the warnings, she would guard her heart, but she wouldn’t deny herself any of the primal need, the elemental desire for this man. For as long as it lasted, she would take all he had to give.
“Sweet Jesus,” he groaned as her inner muscles gripped him and she ground her hips up against his to prolong the pleasure, “why did I wait so long to take you?”
She should have been insulted by the way he spoke about taking her and maybe she would be later, but she knew the truth.
Until this very moment, he’d been giving to her, everything she needed, everything she wanted. All he’d cared about was her pleasure. Yes, her pleasure pleased him, but that wasn’t why he’d touched her, kissed her, loved her the way he had.
He’d done it all for her, had been minutely attuned to every breath, to every heartbeat, to her scars, and then to every gasp of pleasure. Only now that he knew she was completely satisfied, did he let himself take.
Heather knew the precise moment their lovemaking went from being all about her to being for him. The tenor changed as he let go of her hands and slid his palms over her breasts, cupping her, squeezing her before moving his hands lower, to cup the curve of her hips in his hands.
It was perfect, the shift from her pleasure to his. It was just how it should be, just how she wanted it, that they were equal partners in each other’s pleasure. She wanted to give Zach what he’d given her.
Complete freedom to fall apart, with no repercussions waiting afterward.
As he gripped her hips tighter and tighter, she could feel him growing even bigger, even harder with each powerful thrust. His focus might not be entirely on her pleasure anymore, but even so, she could feel herself on the verge of flying again.
Finally able to touch him, she reached up, ran her hands over his chest, then over to his upper arms. His muscles and tendons flexed beneath her fingertips and she marveled at his strength even as she used her own to hold onto him with her hands on his sweat-slickened skin, her legs tightly wrapped around his hips as she met him thrust for thrust.
She wanted to focus only on him now, needed to make sure he felt as good as she did, but she couldn’t stop her body from responding to how good it felt. Only, she didn’t want to go there alone this time.
“Zach.” She tried to warn him, but it was too late, she was already falling. “Please,” she heard herself beg through a fog, knowing he wouldn’t understand what she wanted, that he would just think she was pleading for him to prolong her next climax. Still, she said it again, the only two words she could form. “Please, Zach.”
It didn’t take more than a split second for Heather to realize she’d underestimated him yet again. Somewhere in the back of her mind, it occurred to her that he understood her desires, that he quite likely knew her body, her sensual needs, better than she ever had herself.
In the next sweet, perfect moment, Zach’s name was falling from her lips like a benediction as he stilled above her, then pulsed long and hard with his own powerful release.
And, oh, how she loved the way he threaded his hands into her hair, then covered her mouth in a kiss that told her just how much she pleased him. At least as much as he’d pleased her.
Finally, he came down over her, breathing hard, his weight heavy over hers as he pressed her even deeper into his mattress. She didn’t mind his weight or the dampness that stuck between them, not when she could wrap her arms around his back and simply hold him.
Chapter Eighteen
Heather woke up a few hours later in the circle of Zach’s strong arms. Instinctively, she snuggled into his naked body, but the warnings that hadn’t been able to pierce through the arousal clouding her brain before, now rushed in with unrelenting fury.
Here lay danger, feeling soft and warm and safe with Zach Sullivan.
She was a woman, so she would allow herself a little softness. Warmth couldn’t be helped, either. Not when Zach was a walking, breathing heating unit.
But safe?
Only a complete fool would let herself believe she was safe with him.
Besides, their agreement in the ball park’s alley had been perfectly clear. Their relationship was all about sex.
Nothing else.
Oh God, how could she already be in so far over her head with this man? She’d thought she was tough enough to make a pleasure-only deal with him...but if she’d known the way he was going to make love to her last night, that it would feel like he was giving his heart and soul to her, too, she never would have been so stupidly arrogant as to think that she could be the one woman on the planet not to lose her heart to Zach Sullivan. Adding in the way he’d found her scars, and asked how she’d been hurt, like it broke his heart to even think of anything happening to her—not to mention the way she’d completely lied to him about how the scars had come to be—had a shiver of warning skittering up her spine.
And yet, even had she known all of that, would she have been able to turn her back on the chance to feel his arms around her, his lips pressing against hers, his hands rough and sure on her skin?
No, she honestly didn’t think she would.
Beyond irritated with herself for having neither self-control nor a big enough sense of self-preservation where he was concerned, she began to lift his arm from where he was holding her tightly to him.
Zach’s arm tightened around her waist. “I’ve been waiting for you to wake up.”
His breath was warm, sensual, against her ear, his erection pressing into her bottom as she took a deep breath. There was nothing she wanted more than to stay here with him.
Which was exactly why she needed to succeed at pushing from his arms to slide off the bed. “I need to go.”
“Not yet.” His teeth found her lobe and tugged at it. “I need you again.”
She barely stifled a needy moan as she felt the immediate answering throb at her breasts, between her legs. She needed him, too.
Only hours after he’d given her a shocking amount of pleasure, she was desperate for more. For the slow caress of his large, calloused hands over her skin as he lazily filled his hands with her.
“You have the most beautiful body, Heather.”
Wanting to stop her stupid heart from swelling at his heated praise, she made herself say, “How can you tell,” as if she were cogent, rather than already sinking deeper and deeper beneath his spell, “when you haven’t even seen it properly yet?”
She loved the sound of his soft laughter against her neck, far too much.
“I can see in the dark, remember? But I could be blind and know how beautiful you are. Just from this.” He let his fingertips play across her breasts. “And this.” He slid his hand down over her stomach muscles into the already damp curls between her legs.
She couldn’t believe how desperate he made her feel with his hand between her thighs and his lips plotting a course of sensual destruction across her neck and shoulders. Thank God, the next thing she knew he was shifting on the bed to reach for another condom.
When she heard the familiar tearing of the small package, she spun to yank it out of his hands in the dark. Desire gave her perfect aim, even though she could still barely see a thing.
Zach helped guide the condom in her hand to his erect shaft and together they rolled it down over the thick, throbbing length.
Last night she’d let him take control and it had been amazing, but now that she knew the pleasure he could give her, she couldn’t possibly sit back and wait for him to tease, to tantalize again.
Laying her palms flat on his
chest, she pushed him back onto the bed and moved over him to straddle his hips. A breath later, she was sinking down on him.
“You feel so good.” She’d never been a talker in bed, but with Zach she couldn’t seem to hold back what she was feeling.
Not when being with him really was that good.
Her inner muscles clenched around him and she loved the sound of his almost-helpless groan as she began to move.
“So do you.” She felt him throb inside of her, growing bigger with every word he spoke. “So good I can’t believe it.”
She loved the way he moved with her, loved the feeling of hard muscles rippling beneath her fingertips as she braced herself on his chest and stomach as she rode him. She loved the feel of his big hands stroking over her flesh in the darkness, the way he seemed to know exactly where to touch her to elicit even more sighs of pleasure.
And even though a part of her desperately wished the sun could rise quickly so that she could see him beneath her, coming into her, the truth was that nothing had ever been as good as the sweet carnality of making love with Zach, darkness all around them creating a world that was pure sensation. If she could have, she would have made it stretch on forever, where nothing existed but their elemental connection.
But everything was tightening too quickly, building too fast inside her again, heading toward the peak he’d sent her hurtling over so many times already. And when he settled his large hands on her hips to shift her pelvis slightly before thrusting up in a secret place inside that sent her reeling even further, she knew she had no choice but to give in to the mastery he already had over her body.
“What did you just do?”
He did it again and she almost came right then and there.
“You like it, don’t you?”
Like it? Was he crazy?
She freaking loved it.
But she couldn’t manage words anymore, not when he was thrusting up into her again, right in that beautiful spot that took her breath completely away. A quick learner, she quickly figured out how to move with him to make it even better, the push and pull of pure ecstasy as he withdrew, then came back to drive her even crazier with every powerful thrust.
If that had been all there was, it would have been enough. More than enough. Beyond amazing.
But Zach, she had quickly learned, never did anything by halves. And if he was intent on rocking her world, by God, he was going to all but blow it to smithereens.
The next thing she knew he was sitting up, his arms moving around her waist as he adjusted her so that she was sitting on his lap, her legs now crossed behind his hips. He was so deep like this, deeper than she could have imagined she could take him.
“Hold still.”
She was glad for the momentary pause, for the chance to appreciate being so close to him.
Oh!
The slow slide of his tongue over the tip of one breast had her sucking in a breath before he moved to the next and it whooshed back out of her lungs. Back and forth, he aroused her with his lips and tongue and teeth, the bristles across his chin an utterly delicious scraping against her sensitive skin.
He hadn’t told her she could move again, but there was no way to stop her hips from rocking against his. Everything inside her drew up so tight she thought she would shatter.
And then, on the next strong pull of his lips against her, she did.
Chapter Nineteen
Zach had to pull Heather closer, had to try to erase any space left between them as he followed her over the edge. He continued to hold her close as they fought for breath in each other’s arms. He didn’t want to let go of her, would happily have held her on his lap forever, but when she shifted over him, he forced himself to loosen his hold as she began to lift herself from him.
The sun was just starting to rise, and even though his night vision was good, seeing Heather’s incredible beauty in the light of day took away the breath he’d finally regained.
“Let me look at you.”
“The dogs need to be let out.”
He wasn’t willing to let her use them as an excuse just yet. “They can wait a few more minutes.”
Pulling her firmly back onto his lap, he began to get hard again as he let his gaze rove over her breasts, her waist, her hips. “Next time, we’re going to have every light in the house on.”
She went still for a moment, before laughing out loud. He loved the way she felt—and looked—as her body bounced above him.
“I think I just might be able to stomach looking at you,” she said as she scanned his body with her intelligent, appreciative eyes. “I really do have to go, though.”
She pushed off his lap and he watched her walk naked toward the bathroom. The door closed behind her and he heard the lock click before the shower came on.
If she hadn’t just locked him out, he would be in there with her, showing her how much fun they could have with the custom water jets that he’d had installed on the back wall of his shower.
Zach got out of bed and reached for his clothes. Sex with Heather had been phenomenal. But instead of feeling relaxed, he was wound tight.
He’d never, not once in his life, felt the urge to pin a woman down on their next date. But Heather didn’t act like any other woman he knew, all of whom would have been pulling out the stops this morning to try and nail him down for another evening together.
Hell, even letting her fall asleep in his arms last night had been outside the bounds of his rule book. And he never took women to his place. It was easier to throw on his clothes and head out if he went to theirs.
But he hadn’t thought twice before bringing Heather to his house. Not when he’d been fantasizing about the way she’d look in his bed since the moment he’d set eyes on her.
The craziest thing of all, though, was the fact that he’d loved falling asleep with her. Almost as much as he’d loved everything that had come before...and after.
What was happening to him?
The only thing he knew for sure anymore was that he didn’t have a prayer of keeping his hands off her. Not after the hours they’d just spent together had completely blown his mind. Only an idiot would willingly give up that kind of pleasure.
Zach wasn’t an idiot. Not by a long shot. And he knew he needed to be extra careful about the complications that clearly went hand in hand with such extreme pleasure.
He liked Heather, and that wasn’t going to change. But loving her was still out of the question. Now, more than ever.
Because the thought of making a commitment of forever to Heather, and then leaving her behind to mourn him when he died suddenly just like his father had made Zach’s blood run cold in his veins.
He never wanted anything to hurt Heather ever again.
Especially not him.
He shoved on his jeans and headed into the kitchen, where Atlas and Cuddles were curled up with each other on his rug. Atlas looked up hopefully, then sighed when he saw it was only Zach.
“She’s in the shower. You’ll get her back soon.”
And he shouldn’t be jealous of the fact that her damn dog was going to get to spend the whole day with her. Slamming his coffee pot into the machine, he heard a crack and swore.
Cuddles freaked out at the loud sounds and started barking just as Heather walked into the room, her hair wet around her shoulders. She had on one of his clean button-down shirts, which hung to her knees. Her face was makeup free, her feet were bare...and she looked more beautiful to him than any of the perfect starlets that hung from his brother Smith’s arm at his movie premieres.
“Poor baby,” she said as she bent down for Cuddles to run into her arms. “Did that big, foul-mouthed man scare you?”
Zach shoved away his envy at how naturally Heather opened her arms for his puppy. What if he’d run to her like that? Would she have been that receptive? Would her eyes have lit up and would she be kissing him now instead of the little fur ball?
“It’s all an act,” he told her, “the whole I
’m-just-a-little-defenseless-puppy thing.”
“I don’t care.” She pressed a kiss to the top of Cuddles’s head. “I love her anyway.” She looked up and pinned him with a knowing glance. “And so do you.”
“If counting down the days until I can give her back is your definition of love, then yeah, she’s the dog I’ve been waiting for my whole life.”
Her mouth moved up into a wide grin. “You’re going to be lost without her.”
Not bothering to dignify that ridiculous statement with a response, he plopped four pieces of bread into the toaster.
“So, were you impressed?”
She looked momentarily surprised by his question. She put down Cuddles before going to kiss Atlas on his long muzzle, then moved to the sink to wash her hands before eating.
“Yes. Very.” She shot him an innately sensual look over her shoulder. “Both times.”
“Good,” he said, but when the seconds ticked by and she didn’t move over to him, he had to add, “You missed one.”
She looked confused. “What did I miss?”
He nodded toward where the dogs were standing by the door, pawing at it. “You kissed everyone but me.”
Surprise softened her pretty features and Zach actually found himself holding his breath as he waited to see what she would do.
Technically, good morning kisses weren’t in their sex-only agreement, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want one.
Slowly, she moved toward him, his chest tightening down even further with every step.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel left out,” she said softly, and then she was putting her hands on either side of his face as she went up on her toes to press a kiss to his lips.
Their kisses until now had been all about sex, and desperate need.
This one was different.
The desire was still there, riding between them the way it had from the first moment they’d met, but there was a softness in this kiss that he’d never shared with anyone.